Instead of Asking Good Questions, Senators Try To Score Political Points

Saturday

Feb 16, 2013 at 12:18 AM

There was a time when congressional inquiries of appointed people for positions in government, particularly positions in the executive branch, were of high value. But recently it seems that some doing the questioning are clearly trying to score political points.

There was a time when congressional inquiries of appointed people for positions in government, particularly positions in the executive branch, were of high value. But recently it seems that some doing the questioning are clearly trying to score political points.

A case in point: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., demanded a yes or no answer from Chuck Hagel — President Barack Obama's nominee for secretary of defense — as to the success or failure of the Iraq War surge.

Hagel said that he could not answer because there is not a concrete answer. Hagel did say he could accurately give the casualties sustained by the United States, but the success or failure of the surge should be judged by history.

This answer is reasonable, but McCain was relentless — he demanded a yes or no answer.

We all applaud John McCain's military service. I hope he's not morphing into an angry old man.

Another scene in which the questioner is clearly looking for political point occurred as Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., questioned Chuck Hagel about if he knew of anybody who has been knowingly influenced by the Jewish lobby, or any lobby, for that matter. It doesn't take an Einstein to realize that nobody would ever admit to being influenced by any lobby roaming the halls of Congress.

These two examples are clearly indicative of senators vying for political points. Most Americans would prefer the questioners to ask meaningful, hard-hitting questions, void of any search to score political points.